This thorough history of one of the world's most recognizable brands outlines the business practices and strategies that have made Coca-Cola so successful. Not always complimentary (the author explains Coke's role in both the depletion of the world's natural resources and its part in the obesity crisis), this is an eye-opening accounting that Kirkus Reviews calls "superb." For an insider's perspective on the company, try the business memoir Inside Coca-Cola, by long-time employee (and former CEO) Edward Isdell.

Readers just beginning their careers and those looking for a change will get the most out of this valuable, practical book, which presents the tools needed for managing an engaging professional life. Offering advice from choosing a career to knowing when to leave a job as well as identifying the skills needed to move up the ladder or recover from a mistake, this organized, informative book also offers content summaries for those in a hurry.

How much spam arrives in your email inbox each day? Thanks to spam filters, you may not know, but spam is more than just a nuisance, according to Web security analyst Brian Krebs -- it's part of a hugely lucrative, and illegal, industry that preys on the unsuspecting. Tracking illicit pharmaceutical sales, a network of organized cybercriminals based out of Russia, and the work of anti-spammers, this gripping narrative also outlines ways that you can keep your own information safe. For another up-to-the-minute look at the dark side of the Internet, try Marc Goodman's Future Crimes, which will be published at the end of February.

Best known as a motivational speaker and life coach, Tony Robbins turns to helping people with their finances with this book, which promises readers the chance of hitting it big through "7 Simple Steps" -- follow-through being key, of course. Drawing on more than 50 interviews with legendary financial experts and extremely wealthy people (think Carl Icahn, Warren Buffett, and Steve Forbes), the book's upbeat and enthusiastic tone will probably best suit those who need basic financial advice.

Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year

Each year, the Financial Times, along with a partner, offers an award to the best business book of the year. In 2014, consulting firm McKinsey & Company launched their partnership with the Financial Times, awarding the prize to Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century. You'll see it below, along with several of its fellow nominees.

In Dragnet Nation, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Julia Angwin explores the current state of surveillance in the U.S., whether online or off. In addition to unveiling the massive amount of data that is captured during an ordinary day -- and mostly computerized and stored -- Angwin also relays her year-long attempts to evade online tracking and regain control over her own data. Anyone interested in privacy matters will want to read this startling exposé.

If the invention of the steam engine heralded the first machine age, then the invention of the computer -- and all the digital devices it made possible -- prompted a second, according to tech experts and MIT colleagues Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee. As they explain the forces that will change the way we live, work, and play -- whether positively or negatively -- and offer policy suggestions to help shepherd a rosy future, they remain ultimately hopeful about what's to come. For another optimistic forecast, try Peter Diamandis' 2012 book Abundance.

In this engaging book, co-founder and president of Pixar Animation Studios Ed Catmull presents the ideas and management principles he has used to develop the company's successful creative culture, which in turn supports a successful business. Incorporating the story of Pixar's evolution, Catmull also shows how Pixar's daily commitment to specific values -- such as the importance of building the right team or the necessity of challenging accepted ideas -- has led to their continued success. Published to positive reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and the Financial Times (among others), this is a must-read for those who want to increase or support creativity in the workplace.

As controversial as it is profitable, hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking") has evolved from an obscure mechanical process to a commonplace practice: 100 wells are drilled every day in the U.S.; each one of them is fracked. In TheBoom, investigative journalist Russell Gold describes how North America's extensive shale deposits and the technology that facilitates fuel extraction have contributed to the rise of natural gas as a serious competitor to coal and nuclear power. He also reflects on the consequences of prolonging the life of an energy economy based on fossil fuels at a time when the threat of climate change looms large.

Nearly as divisive as it has been successful, Capital in the Twenty-First Century argues that capitalism increases financial inequality. Rigorously researched and quite lengthy, it's an important read for those concerned about income inequality, though some economists disagree with parts of author Thomas Piketty's analyses -- and others with his policy suggestions (such as a global tax on wealth). Piketty's website, however, offers a point-by-point rebuttal of much of this criticism, and this Business Book of the Year Award-winner has received far more praise than censure.

Born into privilege as the sons of wealthy Kansas industrialist Fred Koch, the four Koch brothers each played a role (some larger than others) in building the family's oil and cattle empire into the second largest private corporation in the U.S. They've also been at each other's throats -- in court -- for decades, have poured billions of dollars into Tea Party causes, and gained a reputation as "robber barons" during the 2012 presidential election. In Sons of Wichita, author Daniel Schulman offers a critical but even-handed assessment of the Koch brothers that is as much politically minded as it is business-oriented.